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| Sport | Australian rules football |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Western Australia |
| Founded | 1989; 36 years ago (1989) |
| Headquarters | Tuart Hill, Western Australia |
| Chairman | Ian Callahan[1] |
| CEO | Michael Roberts |
| Official website | |
| wafootball | |
 | |
WA Football, formerly theWest Australian Football Commission, is thegoverning body ofAustralian rules football in the state ofWestern Australia. The organisation is registered as a not-for-profit association.[2]
WA Football assists in administering theWest Australian Football League (WAFL) and is the owner ofAustralian Football League (AFL) teamsFremantle Dockers andWest Coast Eagles.[2]
In the late 1980s,Australian rules football in Western Australia faced financial struggles and depended heavily onState Government funding.Graham Edwards, the State Sports Minister, called for changes to the sport's administrative structure, resulting in the creation of theWest Australian Football Commission (WAFC) in 1989.Peter Tannock, a future Hall of Famer, served as the chair of the WAFC for its first decade.[3]
When the WAFC was formed, the Eagles were insolvent and unsuccessful, the WAFL was in serious trouble andSubiaco Oval needed an overhaul desperately. By 1991, the Eagles and WAFL were rescued from financial ruin and planning began for a second WA AFL team. Both the Eagles and Dockers had $4 million upfront licence fees upon joining the AFL, which attributed to the financial troubles of the WAFC.[4]
In 2020, a parliamentary committee inquiry into the WAFC was established[3][5] after it was revealed that a third of its revenue went to commission staff payments.[6] Sports MinisterMick Murray had concerns that not enough money was being spent on grassroots football by the WAFC.[7] The WAFC sought to make drastic spending cuts following the revelations[6] but the organisation defended its staff structure and salaries.[7] As of 2020, the State Government provided $11 million a year to the WAFC as part of the proceeds fromOptus Stadium.[6] The inquiry found that the Eagles and Dockers had "too much power" in deciding the make-up of the WAFC board and the election of commissioners had to be reformed to be more representative of community football.[8][9]
In February 2025, the West Australian Football Commission underwent a re-brand toWA Football to shed its corporate stigma.[10]
WA Football has three Regional Development Councils in thePerth metropolitan area, with each council consisting of three districts.[11][12][13]
| Councils | Districts | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Metro North | Claremont | Claremont |
| Subiaco | Leederville | |
| West Perth | Joondalup | |
| Metro Central | East Perth | Leederville |
| Perth | Lathlain | |
| Swan Districts | Bassendean | |
| Metro South | East Fremantle | East Fremantle |
| Peel | Mandurah | |
| South Fremantle | Fremantle |